Ben Lynch - Dirty Genes: A Breakthrough Program to Treat the Root Cause of Illness and Optimize Your Health

This book is dedicated to the late Rachel Kranz. She brought Dirty Genes to life, although she did not live to see it published. She worked tirelessly to better the health of millions through books. Without her tremendous ability to organize, create, write, strategize, and collaborate, there would be far fewer amazing health books available today. She gave it her all. I know of no one who has impacted so many lives so deeply, so selflessly, without any need for public acknowledgment. Without Rachel, this book could not have been written. She inspired me, coached me, pushed me, challenged me, and encouraged me each step of the way.

CONTENTS

It was just an ordinary day in 2007. I had half an hour to spare and decided to check out a program playing on the PBS show Nova, A Tale of Two Mice.

The program introduced us to two mice that were genetically identicalbut looked completely different. Both were from a strain that had a strong genetic potential for obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Yet one of the mice was lean and healthy, while the other was massively overweight and vulnerable to disease. Although each had the genetic potential for major illness and excess weight, only one of them was actually unhealthy.

As I watched in astonishment, the researcher explained the x factorthe mysterious, powerful reason behind our ability to manipulate our genetic inheritance and create health rather than illness. The secret was methylation, a biochemical process that takes place within your body. By methylating certain genes, you can turn off your genetic tendency to obesity and disease.

And how had that amazing feat been accomplished in the mice presented on PBS? In that experiment, through diet alone. While the experimental mice were still in the womb, researchers had given some of the mothers methyl donors nutrients that support the methylation processwhile the control group received none. The right diet had turned off the mices dirty genes and reshaped their genetic destiny.

This process of turning genes on and off is known as epigenetics. What I have learned since that momentous day in 2007 is that we can transform our genetic destiny through a combination of diet, supplements, sleep, stress relief, and reduced exposure to environmental toxins (the toxins in our food, water, air, and products). With the right tools, we can transcend our inherited tendencies to diseaseincluding anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), birth defects, cancer, dementia, depression, heart disease, insomnia, and obesityto create new and healthy lives.

I still remember how amazed I was as the program drew to a close. I slammed my hand down on my desk. Thats it ! I cried out. Thats what I want to do!

From that point on, I was obsessed. Contrary to what so many scientists and doctors believe, our genetic destiny isnt fixed. It can be edited, rewritten, changed. We just need to know how.

And so it became my mission to identify our dirty genes and develop the protocol we need to scrub them clean, replacing disease with health and enabling us all to reach our genetic potential. Im happy to tell you that after a decade of research, study, and successful treatment of clients around the world, I have developed and refined the Clean Genes Protocol, a program to optimize your healthand your life.

The Power of Epigenetics

Ive always been fascinated by the ways our bodies want to be healthy, and Ive spent most of my life learning how to help them get there. As an undergraduate, I studied cell and molecular biology. I then became a naturopathic physiciana science-based practitioner who relies on natural methods to restore balance and optimize health. As I worked with patients, I realized that I also needed to become a specialist in environmental medicine, discovering both how the chemicals in our environment undermine our health and what we can do to detoxify our bodies.

What made all my diverse studies come together was the field of epigenetics: the many, many factors that can influence how our genes are expressed. I had always understood how powerful genes can be. But wow, was I thrilled to discover that we dont have to bow down and submit to our DNA. Instead, we can work with our genes to create optimal healthif only we know how.

One of the most important pieces of the genetic puzzle is a type of variation known as a SNP (pronounced snip), which is short for single-nucleotide polymorphism. So far, roughly ten million SNPs have been identified in the human genome, with each of us having over a million.

Most of those SNPs dont seem to affect us very much. Yes, they represent a slight variation or abnormality in various genes, but so far as we know, those variations dont seem to make much difference in the way our bodies function.

Some SNPs, however, can make a huge difference in our healthand in our personality, as well. For example, SNPs in the MTHFR gene can create a whole host of health problemseverything from irritability and obsessiveness to birth defects and cancer. (Note that I said can. They dont have to thats what this book is all about!) SNPs in the COMT gene can lead to workaholism, sleep issues, PMS, problems with menopause, and again, cancer, along with boundless energy, enthusiasm, and good spirits. (Yes, many SNPs have an upside as well as a downside!)

Health issues that had puzzled my clients for years suddenly made sense when they discovered through our work together that their SNPs had at least partly created those issues. Problems that had seemed overwhelmingeven doomingbecame manageable as clients learned that they could use diet and lifestyle to reshape their genes behavior.

I experienced that kind of aha moment myself when I discovered that I have at least three significant SNPs. I finally understood something about why Im so focused and determinedsome might say obsessive! I also saw why I can suddenly become irritable at a moments notice, and why I react so intensely to certain chemicals and fumes. It was a relief to have this new understanding: things made sense to me in a way they never had before, plus I had some new solutions I could rely on. As you read this book, youll have the chance to make the same kind of exciting discoveries about yourself.

Most important, learning about my SNPs empowered me to take charge of my health. Finally, I could support my body and brain with the diet and lifestyle that they needed. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was working at the top of my potential.

I wanted my patients to have the same experienceheck, I wanted everybody to hit that high. So I began to develop a program for cleaning up our dirty genes: what we should eat, which supplements could help, and how to create a clean genes lifestyle. I wanted us to be like that epigenetically supported mouse, glowing and healthy, no matter which genes life has dealt us. I knew that if I could just delve deeply enough, Id find the answers.

And now, ten years later, Im proud to say that I have. Oh, theres still a ton more I have to learnthe whole field of epigenetics is just getting started, and were making new discoveries every day. I spend a big portion of every week doing my own research, and another big chunk of time reading the studies that my colleagues turn out. Its more than one person could ever keep up withand thats the good news. In another ten years, Im fully confident, were going to have the power to take charge of our health in ways we cant even imagine.

Still, you want to be healthy today, not in a year or two or ten. So besides my research and study, Ive worked with thousands of clients and hundreds of doctors, learning how all that arcane science can be translated into a practical, accessible program that anybodyno matter how busycan do. I speak at conferences, publish videos, and maintain a blog, reaching physicians, health professionals, scientists, and laypeople.

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